Executive Director of the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) Manas Makeen has once again urged the government to reveal whether it will conduct the long overdue Provincial Council (PC) elections or abolish the PC system.
Speaking to the media following a workshop titled ‘Janani’ at Matale recently to empower female local government councillors on skills relating to digital safety, Makeen said that CaFFE had only received an acknowledgement of a letter sent to President Anura Kumaa Dissanayake, suggesting that the government either conduct the PC elections or abolish the PC system as the current government had a 2/3 majority in Parliament and was in a position to muster public support for such a move. In its letter, CaFFE has also suggested that the PC poll be held under the Proportional Representation system, if there is a further delay in resolving the legal obstacles to holding under the Mixed Proportional system.
Makeen pointed out that the term of the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council had ended almost eight years ago on 26 September 2017; the terms of the Eastern Provincial Council and the Northern PC ended on 30 September and 01 October of the same year, The term of the Western PC ended on 21 April 2019.
The election monitor said that CaFFE was aware that the incumbent Cabinet had appointed a committee to review the most recent delimitation committee report and appointing committees was considered a ploy to delay issues rather than resolve them in this country.
by PRIYAN DE SILVA 
